Obama Cracks Down on Airline Emissions as He Orders a Massive New Jet for Himself

On Wednesday, according to The Hill, the White House Office of Management and Budget approved new plans to regulate airplane emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency will now hold hearings on the prospective findings, then write up regulation. According to the OMB, the EPA has shown that such emissions justify an “endangerment finding” because they affect climate change; the regulations will reportedly “align… with regulations that the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the United Nations, is developing.”

So the Obama administration wants to crack down on emissions from airplanes. Except, of course, if President Obama is aboard. Then, it’s a different story. The Air Force has now chosen a $367 million Boeing 747-8 (before upgrades) that runs 4,786 square feet; Business Insider calls the plane a “palace in the sky.” It’s the longest airliner ever and flies 8,000 nautical miles at a clip. The interiors are glossy and gorgeous, including leather couches, big screen TVs, top-of-the-line side tables, a state room that would make the MGM Grand envious, a huge office, and a conference room.